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Every week, the experts of FOX NFL Sunday will candidly reveal their observations and make their opinions known as they prepare for their top-rated pregame telecast — seen each Sunday at 12 p.m. ET/9 a.m. PT. We'll share with you some of the highlights and observations from Curt, Terry, Howie, Jimmy and Barry grabbed from their weekly conference call with insider John Czarnecki and pregame show producer Scott Ackerson.
This week, Czar probes FOX NFL Sunday on Mike Martz being a problem in Detroit, a QB controversy in Philly and the struggles of Eli Manning.
FOX NFL SUNDAY PANEL
CZAR: What do you guys feel about Eli Manning?
Howie Long: "I think we are past the point of giving him a lot of excuses like we did in his first, second and third seasons. You know, saying that it takes time to develop. This is his fourth season. And what was his general manager, Jerry Reese, thinking by coming out and saying Eli was skittish in the Minnesota game? Why would you he say that? You can go into the locker room and tell him that, that's fine, but to do it in the media is bad. Skittish is not the word any quarterback wants to hear."
Terry Bradshaw: "I go back to my comments last week about the Giants. I like them today and then they break my heart the following week. Now they are back to questioning Eli once again. You just don't know the impact that is going to have. I mean, here we go again. I said the Lions would get into the playoffs and now they are no good, either. I guess the Giants will get into the playoffs simply because they are no good, too."
Jimmy Johnson: "There are going to be some no-good teams getting into the playoffs."
HL: "The Giants are probably the most likely team to get into the playoffs."
TB: "Yes, the most likely no-good team."
JJ: "You look at Chicago and they still have to play Green Bay and Minnesota and New Orleans. The Bears will be lucky to win eight games. They will probably win about seven games. So, everybody is right. The no-good Giants will be getting into the playoffs. The no-good Bears will not get in."
CZAR: Will the Lions beat the Vikings and get back into the playoff picture?
JJ: "These are also a couple of teams that are not real good. Minnesota is playing a little better than Detroit right now. I think the Lions had their chances."
TB: "Well, Jon Kitna told me that the Lions weren't done and that they were going to win 10 games. My advice to Kitna is, ‘Dude, if you're going to win 10 games, you better start playing like a quarterback that can win 10 games. You're killing them.'"
HL: "Ouch, I like that."
TB: "Well, if you're going to shoot your mouth off, you better go out and get after it. I don't think they're done, no."
HL: "Will Jon Kitna survive in that offense?"
TB: "I go back to what I said earlier when talking about the Giants. How can these teams be losing if they expect to go to the playoffs? Even the Arizona Cardinals, losing at home last Sunday (to the 49ers) like they did. I just don't get what's going on in the NFL right now."
HL: "Among the no-good teams that have been going up and down this season, are the Giants, New Orleans and Detroit. Add Arizona. What Terry said really applies to Detroit. The running back is week-to-week. Their defensive front seven dictates everything to their defense because they can't cover back there. And their success up there revolves around Shaun Rogers; the Lions go as he goes. He wasn't a factor against the Packers. But he can be a great player."
Curt Menefee: "He's one of those guys who if he played week in and week out to his peak, he probably would be recognized as the best defensive tackle in football. But he decides when he wants to play."
HL: "That's unfortunate."
CM: "He must not care because he's making $5 million a year. It's like Jimmy always says, ‘The enemy of great is good.' And he's pretty darn good as he is, but he doesn't seem to care if he's great."
HL: "There are times when no two men can block him."
CM: "I wanted to know what you guys thought about Roy Williams calling out Mike Martz this week. Williams said that every time he tries to talk to his offensive coordinator that Martz says, ‘I've been doing this for 34 years and I've won a Super Bowl.' And that basically the coach doesn't listen to him. You wonder if it's starting to fall apart for the Lions."
HL: "There was a shot at the end of the Green Bay game when Kitna went over to the bench area after just getting mauled. I think there was blood coming from his mouth. And Martz goes over and pats him on the head, probably saying, ‘Sorry that I haven't drawn up protection into the scheme, but you're really a good kid.'"
JJ:"He doesn't believe in it. Not only the protection, but his approach is that Kitna is not going to throw a check-down pass like every other team in the league does. He has them streaking down the field, looking for the big play. Without that check down, the quarterback is going to get hit. You would think as good as Detroit is throwing the ball, that the Lions would be higher in the third-down conversion rate. But they aren't because they don't throw swing passes and check-down passes."
CM: "When Martz was in St. Louis, not only were the quarterbacks not allowed to throw check-downs, but if they did they were called out in the Monday meetings for not being tough enough in front of the entire team."
JJ: "Yeah, I heard that, too. He has it in their minds that the quarterback is going to throw the ball down the field."
CM: "I know it was tough for guys like (Kurt) Warner and (Marc) Bulger."
JJ: "The bottom line is that Martz's approach is either feast or famine. Now, I know teams don't worry about covering the underneath passes because they know Martz is not going to throw them."
CZAR: Is there a quarterback controversy in Philadelphia now?
HL: "Yes. I was on the radio there twice (Thursday morning) and they are taking their fan polls and 85 percent say they should start A.J. Feeley because of how well he played against New England. I think it's starting to become more than a coincidence with some of the fans there that Jeff Garcia was able to finish 5-1 with the Eagles after Donovan got hurt last season and then Feeley comes in and plays like he did against the Patriots. You start asking yourself, why are these other quarterbacks playing so well? There was a long period of time where Donovan carried this team. But right now, he's physically on the downside and he can't seem to stay healthy. And the situation with the fans is ugly against Donovan."
JJ: "There is no question that Feeley looks great in shorts and can throw the football. But he's a career backup. He did a nice job against the Patriots because he took some shots on the blitz and still completed the passes. I think at one time Donovan did carry the Eagles, but I think right now the team is carrying Donovan."
HL: "I think there is a chance he could be done there."
JJ: "I think there was a group of players when Terrell Owens was there and they sided with T.O. and they have never gone back to McNabb."
HL: "It always surprised me that at every crossroads there in Philadelphia, whether it was T.O. or Garcia last year, that half of the group sided against Donovan. The Super Bowl thing didn't help him, either. Conversely, look at how Tony Romo has handled himself in Dallas and how smart he was to build a relationship with T.O. Romo really worked at making that work."
CM: "When Owens was in Philadelphia, Donovan wanted to be close to T.O. on Donovan's terms. One of the things that has haunted Donovan in that locker room, from almost day one — and I'm not saying it was as bad as Michael Vick — but he was never one of the guys. He had his crew that he hung out with. Even some of his teammates thought he was in the wrong part of town or doing things he shouldn't have been doing. I understand that young guys do that. But I also know that some veteran players told him to be more with us and away from those other guys. As time has gone by, I think Donovan has become more removed from being one of the guys in that locker room. There is not a hatred for him, but there is also not a like for Donovan."
TB: "Do you want to talk about trading him at the end of the year? I would think that trading Donovan will be something that will be hot in the off-season."
This week, Czar probes FOX NFL Sunday on Mike Martz being a problem in Detroit, a QB controversy in Philly and the struggles of Eli Manning.
FOX NFL SUNDAY PANEL
CZAR: What do you guys feel about Eli Manning?
Howie Long: "I think we are past the point of giving him a lot of excuses like we did in his first, second and third seasons. You know, saying that it takes time to develop. This is his fourth season. And what was his general manager, Jerry Reese, thinking by coming out and saying Eli was skittish in the Minnesota game? Why would you he say that? You can go into the locker room and tell him that, that's fine, but to do it in the media is bad. Skittish is not the word any quarterback wants to hear."
Terry Bradshaw: "I go back to my comments last week about the Giants. I like them today and then they break my heart the following week. Now they are back to questioning Eli once again. You just don't know the impact that is going to have. I mean, here we go again. I said the Lions would get into the playoffs and now they are no good, either. I guess the Giants will get into the playoffs simply because they are no good, too."
Jimmy Johnson: "There are going to be some no-good teams getting into the playoffs."
HL: "The Giants are probably the most likely team to get into the playoffs."
TB: "Yes, the most likely no-good team."
JJ: "You look at Chicago and they still have to play Green Bay and Minnesota and New Orleans. The Bears will be lucky to win eight games. They will probably win about seven games. So, everybody is right. The no-good Giants will be getting into the playoffs. The no-good Bears will not get in."
CZAR: Will the Lions beat the Vikings and get back into the playoff picture?
JJ: "These are also a couple of teams that are not real good. Minnesota is playing a little better than Detroit right now. I think the Lions had their chances."
TB: "Well, Jon Kitna told me that the Lions weren't done and that they were going to win 10 games. My advice to Kitna is, ‘Dude, if you're going to win 10 games, you better start playing like a quarterback that can win 10 games. You're killing them.'"
HL: "Ouch, I like that."
TB: "Well, if you're going to shoot your mouth off, you better go out and get after it. I don't think they're done, no."
HL: "Will Jon Kitna survive in that offense?"
TB: "I go back to what I said earlier when talking about the Giants. How can these teams be losing if they expect to go to the playoffs? Even the Arizona Cardinals, losing at home last Sunday (to the 49ers) like they did. I just don't get what's going on in the NFL right now."
HL: "Among the no-good teams that have been going up and down this season, are the Giants, New Orleans and Detroit. Add Arizona. What Terry said really applies to Detroit. The running back is week-to-week. Their defensive front seven dictates everything to their defense because they can't cover back there. And their success up there revolves around Shaun Rogers; the Lions go as he goes. He wasn't a factor against the Packers. But he can be a great player."
Curt Menefee: "He's one of those guys who if he played week in and week out to his peak, he probably would be recognized as the best defensive tackle in football. But he decides when he wants to play."
HL: "That's unfortunate."
CM: "He must not care because he's making $5 million a year. It's like Jimmy always says, ‘The enemy of great is good.' And he's pretty darn good as he is, but he doesn't seem to care if he's great."
HL: "There are times when no two men can block him."
CM: "I wanted to know what you guys thought about Roy Williams calling out Mike Martz this week. Williams said that every time he tries to talk to his offensive coordinator that Martz says, ‘I've been doing this for 34 years and I've won a Super Bowl.' And that basically the coach doesn't listen to him. You wonder if it's starting to fall apart for the Lions."
HL: "There was a shot at the end of the Green Bay game when Kitna went over to the bench area after just getting mauled. I think there was blood coming from his mouth. And Martz goes over and pats him on the head, probably saying, ‘Sorry that I haven't drawn up protection into the scheme, but you're really a good kid.'"
JJ:"He doesn't believe in it. Not only the protection, but his approach is that Kitna is not going to throw a check-down pass like every other team in the league does. He has them streaking down the field, looking for the big play. Without that check down, the quarterback is going to get hit. You would think as good as Detroit is throwing the ball, that the Lions would be higher in the third-down conversion rate. But they aren't because they don't throw swing passes and check-down passes."
CM: "When Martz was in St. Louis, not only were the quarterbacks not allowed to throw check-downs, but if they did they were called out in the Monday meetings for not being tough enough in front of the entire team."
JJ: "Yeah, I heard that, too. He has it in their minds that the quarterback is going to throw the ball down the field."
CM: "I know it was tough for guys like (Kurt) Warner and (Marc) Bulger."
JJ: "The bottom line is that Martz's approach is either feast or famine. Now, I know teams don't worry about covering the underneath passes because they know Martz is not going to throw them."
CZAR: Is there a quarterback controversy in Philadelphia now?
HL: "Yes. I was on the radio there twice (Thursday morning) and they are taking their fan polls and 85 percent say they should start A.J. Feeley because of how well he played against New England. I think it's starting to become more than a coincidence with some of the fans there that Jeff Garcia was able to finish 5-1 with the Eagles after Donovan got hurt last season and then Feeley comes in and plays like he did against the Patriots. You start asking yourself, why are these other quarterbacks playing so well? There was a long period of time where Donovan carried this team. But right now, he's physically on the downside and he can't seem to stay healthy. And the situation with the fans is ugly against Donovan."
JJ: "There is no question that Feeley looks great in shorts and can throw the football. But he's a career backup. He did a nice job against the Patriots because he took some shots on the blitz and still completed the passes. I think at one time Donovan did carry the Eagles, but I think right now the team is carrying Donovan."
HL: "I think there is a chance he could be done there."
JJ: "I think there was a group of players when Terrell Owens was there and they sided with T.O. and they have never gone back to McNabb."
HL: "It always surprised me that at every crossroads there in Philadelphia, whether it was T.O. or Garcia last year, that half of the group sided against Donovan. The Super Bowl thing didn't help him, either. Conversely, look at how Tony Romo has handled himself in Dallas and how smart he was to build a relationship with T.O. Romo really worked at making that work."
CM: "When Owens was in Philadelphia, Donovan wanted to be close to T.O. on Donovan's terms. One of the things that has haunted Donovan in that locker room, from almost day one — and I'm not saying it was as bad as Michael Vick — but he was never one of the guys. He had his crew that he hung out with. Even some of his teammates thought he was in the wrong part of town or doing things he shouldn't have been doing. I understand that young guys do that. But I also know that some veteran players told him to be more with us and away from those other guys. As time has gone by, I think Donovan has become more removed from being one of the guys in that locker room. There is not a hatred for him, but there is also not a like for Donovan."
TB: "Do you want to talk about trading him at the end of the year? I would think that trading Donovan will be something that will be hot in the off-season."
